Getting married is one of the most exciting events in most people’s lives. However, it can also be an extremely stressful time. With so many decisions to make and arrangements to put in place, not to mention paying for it all, you would be forgiven for finding the planning period less than fun.
Knowing there is so much to do, you may find it difficult to know where to begin. Not knowing where to begin can cause some to not be able to begin at all, and the longer you wait to get started, the more overwhelming and expensive it will become.
Below, we have highlighted some of the main considerations when planning a wedding to help you focus or tick off some of the items on your to-do list.
Budget
One of the most important factors when planning your wedding is what budget you have to work with. Your budget will depend on several factors, including who is paying for the wedding. If you have family members who are contributing toward the wedding, it is important that you find out how much they are contributing before you begin planning.
It can be an embarrassing situation to ask how much a parent or grandparent’s contribution toward your wedding is going to be. However, if you do not know how much money you have available, it is difficult to begin planning or booking aspects of the wedding day.
If you and your partner are paying for the wedding yourself, it will be easier to work out your budget. Weddings do not have to be expensive if you do not want them to be. Although many people put a lot of pressure on the wedding day itself, it is a symbolic day in the length of your marriage.
It is more important to have a day that both you and your partner enjoy rather than a status symbol. However, depending on your circumstances and what you want for your day, you may have several options to choose from regarding how to pay for your wedding day.
Firstly, if you have enough time before the big day, you can arrange payment installments to cover the cost of your wedding. Your budget would, therefore, be the total you can afford each month between when you begin to plan your wedding and when the final payments are due.
Alternatively, if you have money in savings or would prefer to delay your day until you have money saved to pay for it, this is a preferable way to pay for most. Using savings to pay for your wedding will leave your monthly income for anything else that you need.
Other financial commitments do not stop while you are planning and paying for your wedding, so it is important not to use all of your monthly income on your wedding. If your car breaks down or you need new kitchen appliances, you will still need money for this.
If you do not have enough in savings or you would prefer to spread the cost of your wedding with fixed interest, you can consider a consumer loan. Looking for the cheapest consumer loan will mean that you pay the lowest rate of interest possible and can keep your monthly repayments lower.
If you want more information about the cheapest consumer loans, you can review sites such as https://www.billigeforbrukslån.no/. At billigeforbrukslån.no, you can get the information you need to ensure you do not pay more than necessary for the loan you need.
Venue
You may have dreamed of where you will get married since you were a child, you may want to continue a family tradition with your venue, or you may have no idea until you begin looking. However, your venue is likely to be the most expensive single payment for most weddings.
If you choose a single venue where you can be married and have your reception in one place, you will pay more but have less to arrange because transport and where guests will stay will not need to be arranged separately.
You should check the rules regarding the marriage ceremony for where you live. The venue should be able to provide you with all of the information you need to ensure that the ceremony is legal. You may have to pay an additional fee for the registrar to carry out the ceremony.
If you decide to have a religious ceremony followed by a reception at a second venue, you will have two arrangements to make. However, this may be a less expensive option for you as venues for receptions are generally cheaper than a single venue.
Clothing
There are many items of clothing associated with a wedding, and dresses generally have the highest price tag. Most wedding wear can be paid for in installments with only a deposit to be paid upfront. If you take this option, you can then work out how much you can afford the clothes to cost.
Spreading the cost of the clothes over the length of time before the wedding date is an excellent way to reduce the financial pressure. The earlier you find and begin paying for your wedding clothes, the cheaper the monthly payments you will be making.
Alternatively, with the rise of second-hand shopping, there has been an increase in the availability of excellent-quality wedding clothes at a significantly cheaper price. If you are interested in second-hand wedding wear, there are several websites that are available.
You can also find physical stores that offer discounted or second-hand wedding wear at reduced prices. Designer wedding wear that is out of season or from an older design line is often much cheaper if you shop around.
Gifts
You may think that as the couple gets married, you will receive gifts. However, the newlyweds often purchase gifts for members of their wedding party and their parents. The value of the gifts will vary depending on the couple, the number of gifts they need to buy, and their budget.
If you do not have a vast amount in your budget to pay for gifts, there are alternatives to giving nice gifts to show your loved ones you care. If you are crafty, you can make your own gifts, something personal for each of your wedding party.
You may also want to purchase gifts for your guests. Again, depending on the number of guests, this can become expensive. As an alternative, you may both decide to make a charity donation in memory of a lost loved one. If you choose a donation, you can pay a fixed, affordable amount in their memory.
Another, possibly cheaper, option for all of your guests is to purchase a scratch card or lottery ticket for each guest. This way, in addition to giving your guests a gift on your wedding day, you are also giving them the chance to win the jackpot.
Transport
Depending on where you are getting married and how far the wedding service is from the reception venue, you may need to consider transport for your guests. Buses, or minibusses, are the most popular option for helping guests to get from one part of the day to the other.
Booking transport as soon as possible after booking your wedding will be helpful to ensure that you get what you need. You can often book with a deposit and pay the remainder a set period before the wedding.
If you book far enough in advance, you may be able to secure the current price for future years. When booking in advance, you can provide the company with an estimate of the number of people who will be using the transport and confirm once you have received all replies.
In addition to providing transportation for your guests, you will need to decide on your own transportation. Some people will choose a classic car, while others will choose a luxury car for their big day. However, as mentioned, if your entire day takes place in only one venue, this will not be needed.
Photography
If you hire the services of a professional wedding photographer, photography can be one of the single biggest expenses of the day. Good wedding photographers are in high demand and so are booked several years in advance, making this one of the first decisions to make.
You may have seen photographs from other weddings that you loved and wish to use the same photographer, or you may have no idea where to start. All photographers will use social media to highlight their skills, so it is easy to review their abilities before contacting anyone to check their availability.
Most photographers will also offer an engagement photo shoot as a trial so you can see how their style fits with yours. You will also see from the engagement photographs how you will be directed on the day and how you will feel being positioned for the shots.
Alternatively, if you do not want staged or formal photographs and cannot find a professional candid photographer that you wish to hire, there are still options. You can provide disposable cameras or a Polaroid camera to your guests to have candid photographs taken instead.
However, the risk with this is that you will not have any specific photographs taken if you want them. A mix of formal and candid photographs is becoming more popular and is a great way to relive your day when candid photographs are collected.
